Brand, Packaging, Production.
Misha’s Vineyard.
Based in Central Otago, New Zealand, Misha’s Vineyard crafts world-class wines with an emphasis on elegance and complexity. With meticulous vineyard management and a minimal-intervention approach, their wines are a pure expression of the region’s unique terroir.
Creating Impact from Inception.
From its very inception, Misha’s Vineyard founders Misha and Andy Wilkinson took a hands-on approach to every aspect of their brand, even assembling and overseeing a global branding panel of industry experts – wholesalers, retailers, journalists, collectors, marketers, and designers. While initial feedback was positive, something was missing.
Seeking a brand identity as refined and considered as their wines, Misha’s Vineyard approached Tucker Creative with a clear challenge: crafting bold branding and packaging able to reflect the heart of their vineyard and the meticulous care behind every bottle.
A Celebration of Origin.
Through an extensive creative process, we distilled the initial concepts down to three core directions, each meticulously crafted to reflect the vineyard’s essence. Released in 2008, the final design became the visual signature of Misha’s Vineyard – rooted in authenticity, place, and personal touch, became a visual signature of Misha’s Vineyard.
Our inspiration for the label’s backdrop came from the shape of the misty blue mountain landscape that weaves along the horizon of Misha’s Vineyard. Distilled into a set of lines that flow across the label, it captures the region’s sense of place with subtle elegance. A single vine anchors the design, an emblem of the hands-on care that defines every row of Misha’s Vineyard.
Expanding upon this visual expression of dedication and care, the gold foiling highlights eight bunches of grapes – a symbol of the vineyard’s ability to cultivate wines of exceptional quality. This idea is carried through to the closure, which appears as if a golden ‘coin’ has been placed on top of the bottle, highlighting the connection between the land, the fruit, and the final wine.
Beyond stylish flourish, these elements honour an inciting tale in the winery’s origins. During their ground-breaking ceremony, a gold coin was placed underneath the first eight vines planted – given as an emblem of prosperity and good fortune for years to come. These elements converge in a design that, while captivating on its own, blossoms as the consumer is swept up in the vineyard’s story.
Packaging Evolution, Not Revolution.
Exceptional design is built to evolve. At Tucker, we create branding that anticipates change, ensuring brands like Misha’s Vineyard remain both relevant and distinctive. From the start, our approach ensured the flexibility to adapt to shifting market trends while maintaining the integrity of the vineyard’s identity.
More recently in 2022, Misha’s Vineyard came to us seeking an evolutionary refresh, or “tweak”, of the existing label design for their core range. Misha’s recognised that rather than starting anew, there is far more to be gained through a focused enhancement of the established design and identity – a modern classic.
Our task was to maintain core elements while providing avenues for enhancement and embellishment to the label, with an exploration of hierarchy, structure, colour and decorative elements to create a unique yet familial point of difference for each varietal. This came into play with the title of each wine given a colour that hints at its price point.
Those at the lower end are deep red – vibrant wines at a more affordable price point for wine consumers looking to begin engaging with the brand. Those at the higher end are in an elemental golden hue – a reflection of terroir and elegance.
The final touch was the addition of texture from a schist rock taken directly from the vineyard, which we used as a tactile sealer along the lower half of the design. Schist rock is prominent across the Central Otago region, and its prevalence in the soil imbues the grapes with a bold linear quality. Leaning into its earthy qualities, it is printed over with silver lustre, further evoking the winery’s sense of place.
Print Production and Collaborative Partnerships.
As part of our process, our team led a label print review meeting. Working closely with Misha’s founders Misha and Andy and alongside label printing account director Gavin McQuoid from MCC, we brainstormed new print techniques, specifications, print finishes, and paper stock to enhance the label design and deliver on client expectations.
Key design elements and print production specifications established included a textured sealer over silver lustre (“Special Silver”), reduced on press to 50% strength and applied a double matt varnish to minimise the tone and reflection of the ink to enhance readability.
Also included was a synthetic chiller glassine stock, making the packaging suitable for fridges, ice buckers, and humid Asian market climates.
We trialled the chosen direction, and with minimal intervention, achieved a result that engaged the entire team.
Beyond the Label.
No matter the brief, our development is grounded in a forward-thinking process, ensuring that every project anticipates the needs of tomorrow as well as meeting the immediate requirements of today.
Our enduring partnership with Misha’s Vineyard is a canvas that exemplifies this philosophy, as we soon ventured beyond labels to develop numerous other designs. This included brochures, tasting notes, advertising, and other forms of packaging. With each, we paid keen attention to the medium’s advantages, limitations, and how people engage with it.
Many thanks to Misha and Andy, along with the entire team at Misha’s Vineyard for providing such a compelling story to tell, and for continuing to entrust us with the role of telling it.
Whether you are the owners of an established brand, or you are about to embark on a completely new branding venture, Tucker can help you review and achieve your brand aspirations; from strategy to implementation.
Take the first step by booking a discovery meeting, emailing us at tuckers@tuckercreative.com.au or calling +61 8 8331 1700.
Tucker. For visionary brands.
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